But professors in the sciences, where the grading is more objective, favor a linear scale which would not contain a gap between an A- and B+. "I certainly don't think we need three grades between an A and a B," says James E. Davis, lecturer on chemistry and instructor of Chemistry 5. "I think there should be equal spacing between A- and a B+. And an easy way to make each of them equal is to go by .3 increments."

The 4.0 scale is favored by many students because it is the more traditional method for ranking grades.

"I think going to a 4.0 scale would be good," says Priya Aiyar '96. "It makes no sense for there to be gaps and for any non-Harvard thing you end up converting your grades anyway."

What's at Stake?

As faculty members prepare to consider the proposals, they are questioning whether they will truly deflate grades by putting them in context.

Some professors and students also worry that rather than making grades more meaningful, the proposals would simply increase stress without reducing inflation.

The CUE committee's report offers no panacea. According to Buell, the proposals forwarded to the Faculty last week came to the committee because, "they were the [place] where anything like consensus was formed between department heads."

Although administrators, professors and students widely agree that grades at Harvard have increased over the last 20 years, they differ on whether the inflation poses a problem for the University.

"Grade inflation is a problem in that it's something that is happening," says Christopher P. Jones, professor of classics and history and a member of the CUE. "Over the past twenty or so years there's been an upward shift in grades given at Harvard. If that's a problem or that's just something that happens, I'm not sure."

Indeed, some faculty and students contend that grade inflation occurs as naturally as monetary inflation.

"Economists complain about inflation in general--grade inflation is just another example," says John McHale, head teaching fellow in Social Analysis 10, the largest course taught at the College. "If it could be avoided it would be better."

Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68, who attended the most recent CUE meeting, credits much of the increase to students' improved abilities.

"I think students are getting smarter--probably there is objective data to support that--though I doubt that effect can explain the entire shift in grades," he says.

Others agree with Lewis, arguing that diversification of the admissions process and improvements in education have greatly improved the caliber of the average Harvard student.

"There are alternative hypotheses to saying things have gotten easier and they're handing out A's," says Margaret E. Bourdeaux '97. "I think teaching has improved and students are doing better."